Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 July 1882 — Tear It Up by the Roots. [ARTICLE]

Tear It Up by the Roots.

The Hon. Samuel S. Cox, of New York, made a brief but powerful epeeoh in the House, on the 15th, on the subject of abolishing the internal revenue system. Mr. Cox, said: I beg the attention of members to say that enough has been developed, awing to the unfortunate colloquy that has taken place, to show honest people who are watokieg our proceedings with more oare for our own honor than we seem to be doing. I say the revelations which have been made in connection with the internal revenue system have begotten much suspicion. Whether well or illfounded, Ido not say; but it calls for very careful Investigation. The re. suit will be, and not very remote either, that the whole internal revenue system will be blotted out. It ought to be. I believe if the tariff were properly arranged, if the number of articles upon which duties are levied wis cut down from more than 2,000 to some smaller number and with revenue qualities. It would not require a corns mission to frame a tariff that would yield revenue enough to pay all the expenditures of frugal government I would hail the day when this infernal revenue system shall be abolished, and our revenue be collected with revenue purposes, neither political, partisan, nor protective. We have had it now twenty years. It was a war measure. It has done its work. It is past its usefulness. I know the effect of it in my own State You gentlemen who favor a free bal. lot and an honest count perhaps do not know bow the internal revenue officers, tae store keepers, the gaugers, and all the emhloyes of that bureau, foroe by their espionage and terrorism the free ballot. It is a power which I could, had I time, display here in its enormity, and from published and notorious facts. It is an expensive system. It is costly in country and city. Go to North Carolina. I defy any man of common sense to tell me that the system in North Carolina pays either morally or economically. Take the several districts of North Carolina as you find them in the report of the Commissio' er of Internal Revenue Take its Sixth District. You will find that It costs to collect $510,944 0f rev. enue over $274,415. It is over 54 per cent, for the cost of collection. Yet in that same State, quiet and orderly es it Is, they collect their State taxes for five per cent-, or $26,513 as the eost of collecting $530,293. This expensive system does invade the towns and cities- As I said, it foroes the ballots. It uses spies and informers. They are the voluntary witnesses for a consideration, which the amendmeut of Ike gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. White) would cut up by the roots. With permission I quote the description of the detested informer given by the Irish orator Curran. It was familiar to our school boys. It ought to direct us on this smend-. meat:

In a case of life—of honor and of infanny—to eredit a vile informer, the perjurer of an hundred oaths, a wretch whom pride, honor or religion could not bind? The forsaken prostitute of every vice calls upon vou with one breath to blast the memory of the dead and to blight the oharac ter of the living. H* measures his value by the ooffins of his victims; and in the field of evidence appreciates his fame as the Indian warn'or does la fight by the number of scalps with whion be can swell his triumph He calls on you by the solemn league of eternal justice to audit the purity of a conscience washed in his own atrocities. Hs has premised and be« trayed; he has sworn and forsworn: and whether his soul shall go to heaven or to hell, he seems altogether indifferent, for he tells you he has ess tabllshed an interest In eaoh. I make this speech now not for the

purpose or with the expectation that »ny special reform will be made in this Dill. But we cannot fall to see ! that a reform must commence *some [ time and somewhere. This whiskey stench, which has been ventilated ia this House, may be the means, under Providence, of so arranging parties in the next election that we will tear np this internal revenue system by the roots. Go and see the new stock of ceries at A. Leopold’s bid store.

THARP & HOPKINS.